Safety switch box



Jan. 12 1926.

D. T, wADswoRTH SAFETY SWITCH BOX Filed Feb. ll. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lum Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,051

D. T. WADSWORTH SAFETY SWITCH Box Filed Feb. 11, 1925 '2 sheets-sheet 2 Y gnou/Hoz ljavid k/a`dsworth,

Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID T. VJ'ASVGRTH, 0F SRINGS; 'Ei" '"=J-'CL-IY. ASSIGNOR TO THE WADS- WORTH ELECTRIC MANFACTRTNG COMPANY, OIE' COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, A

CORPORATON OF KENTUCKY.

SAFETY SLXITTCH Application filed February To all wlmi/i may concern.'

Be it known that I, AviD T. VADswoR'rH, a citizen of the United States of `America, and a resident of Cold Springs, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in a Safety Switch Box, of which the following is a specification.

i-in object of my invention is to provide a safety switch box wherein the switch mechanism and lead in terminals are normally retained within a closed and sealed compartment7 while the fuses and fuse sockets are mounted in a separate compartment to which access may be had through an aperture controlled by a sliding panel.

Another object is to provide a device of this type wherein the fuses and fuse sockets are accessible only when the switch is disconnected from the lead in lines or source of power.

Another object is to provide a locking means for automatically locking the panel of the fuse compartment when the switch is closed and for releasing said panel when the switch is in an open or off position.

Another object is to provide a locking device for the purpose stated that will occupy a minimum of useful space within the switch box.

Another object is to provide a locking device of this kind which is so arranged to relieve the normal wall structure and cover sealing means of any strain resulting from an endeavor to operate the switch when the box is not in a condition of safety.

Another object is to provide an operating mechanism for switch boxes of the type described which serves to open the switch and unlock the panel with a single movement of the operating mechanism and also to lock the panel and close the switch with a single movement thereof.

lAnother' object is to provide a mechanism operating as above described wherein the opening of the switch precedes the unlocking of the panel and wherein the locking of the panel takes place before the closing of the switch.

Another object is to provide an operating mechanism yof this type which opens the switch rapidly and thereby precludes lex- ,cessive arcing. y

11, 1925i Serial N0. 8,534.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

1 is a perspective view of a switch box having embodied therein the device of my invention and showing the switch and locking means in a closed position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental perspective View of the same showing the operating mechanism, switch and locking means in an open position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental cross sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the operating mechanism forming a detail of my invention.

F ig. is an enlarged perspective view of the parts forming details of my invention.

Fig. (S is a frag-mental front view of the switch box of my invention, the lid being in a closed position.

The switch box is provided with an interior wall G which serves to divide the interior of said box into a switch compar ment and a fuse compartment S. An insulating base or plate 5) of any suitable material such as slate, porcelain, iibre or the like is secured to the interior face l0 of the rear wall of the box and extends into both compartments. Upon this insulating base or plate 9 are mounted the switch blades 11, lead in terminals 12, switch jaws 13, fuse sockets i-i and lead out or load terminals 15 so that all portions of the mechanism which carry an electric current are well insulated from the switch box 5 and from one another. The switch blades 11 are suitably secured to an insulating switch bar 16 so that said blades may always be moved simultaneously about their pivotal mountings. rihe bar 16 carries a pair of perforate lugs 17 through which a U-shaped actuating arm 18 extends. The actuating arm 18 has the free ends of its branches pivotally mounted on the side walls 19 and 20 of the box 5. From the foregoing and by reference to Fig. 1 it will be apparent that as the actuating arm 1S is moved about its pivotal mountings, the insulating switch bar 16 will travel with the actuating arm 18 to move the switch blades 11 into and out of contact with the jaws 13. Thepoperating mechanism. indicated generally yas 21,

is rotatably mounted about one pivotal mounting` of the actuating arm 18 and comprises a llat disc like portion 22 having an upwardly extending peripheral flange ei:- tending` along a portion ot its periphery and a second peripheral flange 2d extending along a diametrically opposed portion. of its perimeter. The actuating arm 18. with its pivotal mounting concentric with that of the operating mechanism 21 extends between the ends and 26 ot the flanges 23 and 2 respectively so that the actuating arm 18 may have a limited independent pivotal niovembetween said ends 25 and 26 and is adapted to be actuated by the operatingmechanism 21 when the ends 25 or 26 are moved against the arm 1S. A suit able spring member 27 has its opposite ends anchored on the flange 28 and arm 1B respectively and serves to yieldingly retain said arm in abutment with the end 2G of 'flange 2l. rlhe flange 2l carries upon its outer curve surface a cam 28 having a cam tace 29 at its one side and a second cam 30 having a cam tace 31. rllhe cams 2S and 8() bear an oli set relation one to the other with the cam faces 29 and 31 forming an obliquely disposed yay between them.

The interior wall. 6 is provided with a slot or aperture 32 bounded upon its one side by a catch member 33 which is preferably integral with the wall G and formed from -the material struck irom the aperture 32. A locking plate 34. is pivotally mounted at 35 upon the upper face oi the wall G and is adapted to be swung about its pivotal mounting l5 to open and close the aperture 32 in said wall. A pin 36 extends upwardly from the locking plate Beland is adapted to extend between the cam 'laces 29 and 31 and to side by said faces to be moved from sulJ as the oj/Jeroting mechanism is moved about its pivotal mounting. rlhe movement of the plate "i-y limited by the catch member 33. The movement oi' the piu by the cams 28 and til) serves to rock the plate fifi about its pivotal mounting ior opening and closing the aperture L? in the interior wall 6. The swit '1n bof; provided with a suitable aviug an enlarged opening therein which may be closed by a panel slidablv mounted between suitable strips i their edges spaced Jrom the inot thc cover 37. The panel 39 i an inwardly extending rib member al. 7hen the switch box is closed the cover member 37 may be locked and sealed in any desired manner to preclude unauthorized opening of the box. lVhen the locking plate 34 is moved away 'from the aperture 22, the panel 39 may be slid upwardly, the projecting rib member d1 passing` through the aperture 32 in the interior wall G thereby rendering the fuse compartment 8 accessible for removal or renewal of fuses. A spring clamp 4t2 may be provided upon the-interior wall of the cover 37 or retaining the sliding panel 39 in its raised o'. uppermost position. rlhe cover 37 being closed and locked and the locking plate 34 on the wall G le'ng open, the sliding panel 39 may be ireely raised and lowered. At this time.l however, the pin is in the position shown in 2 and the actuating arm 18 in abutment with the end 2G ot the lflange 2l and under the influence of the spring 2?'. Assuming` that the panel 39 is in a raised po ion with the rib membu' 4.1 extending through the aperture 32 and that an operator-'has 'enewed the fuses in the the switch on without iirst closing the panel compartment 8, he now attempts to throw 39. The handle member l-3 which serves to roti ably actuate the operating mechanism 21 will be in a lowered position as shown in Fig. 2. The operator, endeavoring to close the switch, will push the handle l?) upwardly whereupon the cam 'face 81 of' the cam 30 will strike the pin 36 which in turn will tend to move the plate 34 about its pivotal mounting i5 to close the aperture Having tailed to lower the panel 39, the rib 11 extending through the aperture 32 blocks any material movement of the plate lll so that it is impossible to close the switch and the operator is at the same time .varned that the switch box is not in proper condition. Jany torce which is now applied to the handle 4:3 will be resolved into a shearing' action of the edge of the plate 3l against the rib 1-1 extending through the aperture and in this way the cover member 37 and the walls 19 and 2O are relieved of any possible stress incident to such `force. Since switch boxes ot the type described are almost universally constructed of compara-v tively li ght sheet metal, for example 16 gage sheet steel, the advantage of relieving the normal wall structures of; the box O any strain will readily be apparent since the metal oi? which they are constructed is readily capable oin being sprung. The operator will then lower the panel 39 which will carry the rib member dl below the iuterior wall 6 so that the aperture 32 therein will be .troc of obstruction and the locking plate 34.- may be 'free to swing about its pivotal n'iounting` 'for closing` the aperture 32. ris the operator now moves the handle 13 upwardly the cam lace 31 will move the pin 36 to one side and the locking plate 34 will be swung about its pivotal mounting in order to completely close and lock the aperture 32. The panel 39 is now locked against further opening but the contact of the switch blades 1l with the switch jaws 13 has not been made and the operator must further actuate the handle d3 in the same direction whereupon the ends of the switch blades l1 will linally seat in the jaws 13 and the switch is closed and ready tor duty. During the closing action oi the operati j mechanism the actuating arm 18 was at all times in engagement with the end 26 ot' the flange However, in opening the switch and subsequently unlocking the panel 39, the handle is actuated downwardly thereby pulling the end 25 of the tlange 9i away .trom the arm vrlhe binding llesion ot the jaws i3 upon the switch blades serves to retain the switch in a closed position while the operating mechanism is being moved and the spring 27 is being tensioned. The actuating arm liaewise remains stationary while the tension ot the spring 27 is be- -ing built up. is soon as the end 25 ot the ilange 23 abuts the arm 1S, further movement of the handle will serve to positively move the actuating arm withI it. Thus turther movement o' the operating mechanism releases the switch blades from the binding action of the jaws and pulls said blades from the jaws and upon such release the tension of the spring 27 upon the arm 18 rapidly removes the switch blades from the contact with the jaws, thereby avoiding the arcing which takes place when a switch tends to hang adjacent its aws.

,It should be noted that while the actuating of the handle Li3 in either direction is eected by a simple movement that in reality the opening of the switch always precedes the unlocking of the panel 39 by virtue of the mechanism just described and that the locking of the panel 39 always precedes closing of the switch, and also as has been heretofore described that it is imposn sible to close the switch until the panel 89 has been lowered to shut cti' access to the compartment 8. As will be readily appar ent the upper end oit the rib member eil lies below the interior wa l 6 when the box is closed and the panel 39 is in a lowered posit-ion and that when the locking plate 34 has assumed a position beneath the catch member 33, the upper end ot the rib l1 will strike said locking plate thereby precluding the lifting of the panel 39.

hat I claim is:

l. In a device of the class described the combination with a switch box of au apen tured interior wall in the box for providing a pair of compartments therein, a cover member forming a closure for the box and having an aperture therein for providing access'to one of the compartments, panel slidably mounted upon the cover member for closing the aperture therein, an elongated rib carried by the panel and adapted to pass through the aperture in the interior wall when the panel is moved along its slidable mounting, and means mounted upon the interior wall and contained within the second compartment for closing the aperture in said interior wall.

2. ln a device or" the class described the combination of a switch box having an apertured interior wal :tor providing a pair olf compartments therein, a switch mount/ef in one oi the compartments, an operating me rhanism for the switch mounted upon a side wall of said compartment, and operable from the exterior oit' the box, a cover .tor the box having an aperture therein providaccess to the second compartment, a sliding panel mounted on the cover for etl'ecting a closure of the aperture therein, an elongated rib carried by the panel and adapted when the box is closed to be reeip rocated through the aperture in 'the interior wall when the panel is moved, a locking plate carried by the interior wall and disposed within the first mentioned com aartlnent and adapted to close the aperture in the interior wall, and co-operating means carried by the locking plate and operating mechanism ior actuating said locking plate to close the aperture in the interior wall the operating means are actuated to close the switch, the elongated rib on the panel precluding movement of the panel when the aperture in the interior wall is closed by the locking plate and precluding movement of the locking plate and operating mechanism when the sliding panel is in an open position.

3. ln a device of the class described the combination with a switch box having an apertured interior wall for providing a pair of noncommunicating compartments, of a cover for the box having an aperture providing access to one of the compartments, a sliding panel mounted upon the cover and adapted to be raised and lowered upon its slidable mounting for controlling access to the last mentioned compartment, an elongated rib carried by the panel and adapted to be reciprocated through the aperture in the interior wall as the panel is raised and lowered, a locking` plate pivotally mounted upon the interior wall andl adapted to be moved about its pivotal mounting for opening and closingl the aperture in said interior wall, a pin extending from the locking plate, and a rotatable operating mechanism comprising a flange and peripheral cams upon said flange for effecting movement of the pn whereby the locking plate is moved about its pivotal mounting.

t. ln a locking mechanism for switch boxes the combination with an apertured wall, an integral catch member carried by said wall and positioned adjacent the aperture therein, a locking plate pivotally mounted upon the wall and adapted to be moved about its pivotal mounting for opening the aperture and for engaging the catch member for closing the aperture, a rib adapted to'be reciprocated through the aperture in the interior wall when the aperture is open and to abut the locking` plate when the aperture is closed, and means foru'noving the locking plate about its pivotal mounting.

In a device of the class described the combination with a switch box having a slotted interior wall therein for providingj` an upper and a lower compartment, of a pivotally mounted switch in the upper compartment, fuse sockets in the lower compartment, an operating mechanism mounted within the switch compartment and comprisinr a rotatable body, spaced transverse flanges carried by the body and peripheral cams carried by one of the flanges, a piv ota-lly mounted throw rod connected to the switch and extending between the spaced ends of the transverse flanges, a lockingVv`l` plate pivotally mounted upon the interior wall adjacent the aperture therein, a pin extending?)` from the locking` plate and abutting the cams, a cover for the box, a panel. slidably mounted upon the cover, a rib mounted upon the panel und adapted to be reciln'ecated through the aperture thc panel is sldably actuated upon the cover, and means for actuating the cams whereby the pin is moved to actuate the looking` plate for opening and closing the aperture in the interior wall whereby to .selectively permit and. preclude reeiproeation of the rib through the aperture in the interior wall.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of February, 1925.

DAVID T. lVADSlVORTl-l. 

